Physically, everyone suffers from hunger and thirst, the pain of illness, injury, and abuse. We feel the decline of bodily functions that accompanies aging and increase as we approach the end of life.

Mentally, there is the pain of emotionality, tension, fear, grief, and dis-ease. The modern world is rich for some in material comforts, but poor for everyone in psychological well-being.

On the global level, there is nowhere to hide from suffering, no place in the modern world where we will not be bombarded by heart-wrenching scenes.

The depth of the anxiety which people everywhere experience is almost unimaginable—amidst war and disease, hunger, grinding poverty, bias, discrimination, hatred, and much, much, more.

Today there are new fears: a changing climate that may make much of the earth uninhabitable, and the continuing threat of nuclear war.

How can we let this continue?  

The very things that bring us so much joy—the people we love, the earth itself—are suffering.

Hasn’t this gone on long enough?

We need to look at this situation honestly and open our hearts.

It is time to stop pretending! 

Gesture of Great Love